Dive Brief:
- The FDA has approved Biogen Idec's Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a), a multiple sclerosis drug.
- Plegridy is meant to treat relapsing forms of MS, according to PharmaTimes. It is a biweekly injection treatment.
- Biogen also has an oral MS product, Tecfidera.
Dive Insight:
The FDA's approval stems from a 1,500 person study showing Plegridy's effectiveness for relapsing MS patients. As PharmaTimes notes, the new injectable drug is less painful than Biogen's older MS treatment Avonex, which had to be administered intramuscularly. It also requires less frequent doses.
Plegridy received European approval last month. In a conference call, Biogen spokespeople quoted neurologist Dr. Peter Wade of the Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research in Hartford, Connecticut. Wade praised Plegridy's less invasive dosing schedule and predicted it would be a popular option among patients.